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Video Poker Strategy Calculator

Introduction

The following table shows the results when following perfect strategy (basic strategy and all of the exceptions):

Perfect Strategy Analysis
HandPayoffCombinationsProbabilityHit FrequencyVarianceReturn
Royal Flush955554,052,4800.00002835,977.1525.300.026545
Straight Flush502,217,419,7240.0001118,989.380.270.005562
Four of a Kind2546,930,009,0800.002354424.741.360.058859
Full House7228,884,213,1600.01148387.090.420.080378
Flush6221,604,240,6360.01111789.950.280.066704
Straight4226,291,826,3880.01135288.090.100.045410
Three of a Kind31,477,739,437,1400.07413413.490.300.222403
Two Pair22,568,923,737,7400.1288767.760.140.257753
Jacks or Better14,242,452,826,7800.2128334.700.000.212833
Nothing010,917,632,754,0720.5477101.830.520.000000
Totals19,933,230,517,2001.0000002.2128.690.976447

The following table shows the results when following basic strategy only (not its exceptions):

Basic Strategy Analysis
HandPayoffCombinationsProbabilityHit FrequencyVarianceReturn
Royal Flush955554,307,9000.00002835,960.5725.310.026557
Straight Flush502,208,286,5240.0001119,026.560.270.005539
Four of a Kind2546,925,615,8560.002354424.781.360.058854
Full House7228,874,302,8640.01148287.090.420.080374
Flush6221,479,789,1760.01111190.000.280.066667
Straight4226,081,816,9680.01134288.170.100.045368
Three of a Kind31,477,624,447,0560.07412913.490.300.222386
Two Pair22,568,868,720,2720.1288747.760.140.257747
Jacks or Better14,244,066,008,4160.2129144.700.000.212914
Nothing010,916,547,222,1680.5476561.830.520.000000
Totals19,933,230,517,2001.0000002.2128.700.976406

The following table shows the basic strategy:

Basic Strategy
Type of Play Play Details
Pat HandFull House; Straight Flush; Royal Flush
4 of a Kind
(more)2222; 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK...
4 to a Royal FlushTJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA
3 of a Kind222; 333; 444; 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT; JJJ; QQQ; KKK; AAA
Pat HandStraight; Flush
2 Pair
(more)2233; 2244; 2255; 2266; 2277; 2288; 2299; 22TT; 22JJ; 22QQ; 22KK; 22AA...
4 to a Straight Flush
(more)A234; A235; A245; A345; 2345; 2346; 2356; 2456; 3456; 3457; 3467; 3567...
3 to a Royal FlushTJQ; JQA; JQK; JKA; QKA
1 PairJJ; QQ; KK
3 to a Royal FlushTJK; TQK
1 PairAA
3 to a Royal FlushTJA; TQA; TKA
4 to a Flush
(more)2347; 2348; 2349; 234T; 234J; 234Q; 234K; 2357; 2358; 2359; 235T; 235J...
4 to a Straight9TJQ; TJQK
1 Pair22; 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT
4 to a Straight2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ
3 to a Straight Flush678; 89T; 89J; 8TJ; 8JQ; 9TJ; 9TQ; 9JQ; 9JK; 9QK
2 to a Royal FlushJQ
3 to a Straight Flush345; 456; 567; 789
4 to a StraightJQKA
2 to a Royal FlushJA; JK; QA; QK; KA
4 to a Straight9JQK; TJQA; TJKA
3 to a Straight Flush
(more)A23; A24; A25; A34; A35; A45; 234; 235; 245; 346; 356; 457; 467; 568...
4 to a StraightTQKA
3 to a Straight Flush9TK
3 to a StraightJQK
2 to a Royal FlushTJ
2 to a StraightJQ; JK; QK
2 to a StraightJA; KA
2 to a Royal FlushTQ; TK
2 to a StraightQA
2 to a Royal FlushTA
Single Carda Jack; a Queen; a King; an Ace
3 to a Straight Flush236; 246; 256; 347; 357; 367; 458; 468; 478; 569; 579; 589; 67T; 68T; 69T
GarbageDiscard everything

The following table shows the exceptions to the basic strategy:

Basic Strategy Exceptions
Right Play Wrong Play Pattern(s)
Single Card: an Ace2 to a Royal Flush: TA
(more)2♣ 3♣ 4♦ 10♦ A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: TQ2 to a Straight: QK
(more)2♣ 3♣ 10♦ Q♦ K♣
2 to a Royal Flush: TK2 to a Straight: KA
(more)2♣ 3♣ 10♦ K♦ A♥
2 to a Straight: JQ2 to a Royal Flush: TJ
(more)2♣ 3♦ 10♣ J♣ Q♦
2 to a Straight: JK2 to a Royal Flush: TJ
(more)2♣ 8♦ 10♣ J♣ K♦
3 to a Royal Flush: TJK1 Pair: JJ
(more)J♣ J♦ 2♣ 10♦ K♦
3 to a Royal Flush: TQK1 Pair: QQ
(more)Q♣ Q♦ 2♣ 10♦ K♦
3 to a Royal Flush: TJK1 Pair: KK
(more)K♣ K♦ 2♣ 10♦ J♦
3 to a Royal Flush: TQK1 Pair: KK
(more)K♣ K♦ 2♣ 10♦ Q♦
2 to a Straight: QA2 to a Royal Flush: TQ
(more)2♣ 9♦ 10♣ Q♣ A♦
4 to a Straight: JQKA2 to a Royal Flush: JQ
(more)2♣ J♣ Q♣ K♦ A♦
1 Pair: JJ3 to a Royal Flush: JQA
(more)J♣ J♦ 2♣ Q♣ A♣
1 Pair: QQ3 to a Royal Flush: JQA
(more)Q♣ Q♦ 2♣ J♣ A♣
1 Pair: AA3 to a Royal Flush: JQA
(more)A♣ A♦ 2♣ J♣ Q♣
1 Pair: JJ3 to a Royal Flush: JKA
(more)J♣ J♦ 2♣ K♣ A♣
1 Pair: KK3 to a Royal Flush: JKA
(more)K♣ K♦ 2♣ J♣ A♣
1 Pair: AA3 to a Royal Flush: JKA
(more)A♣ A♦ 2♣ J♣ K♣
1 Pair: QQ3 to a Royal Flush: QKA
(more)Q♣ Q♦ 2♣ K♣ A♣
1 Pair: KK3 to a Royal Flush: QKA
(more)K♣ K♦ 2♣ Q♣ A♣
1 Pair: AA3 to a Royal Flush: QKA
(more)A♣ A♦ 2♣ Q♣ K♣
3 to a Straight Flush: 79J4 to a Straight: 9JQK7♣ 9♣ J♣ Q♦ K♥
3 to a Straight Flush: 7TJ4 to a Straight: TJQA7♣ 10♣ J♣ Q♦ A♥
3 to a Straight Flush: 7TJ4 to a Straight: TJKA7♣ 10♣ J♣ K♦ A♥